Germany, Paris and Morocco - April 19th to May 8th
The overseas adventures have continued with some very different places visited in the last few weeks. We arrived from Hong Kong to Koln, Germany the evening of April 19th after a long flight and quick train ride. Anna picked us up from the train station and we went back to her place for a good sleep!
On Friday 20th we went to the Haribo Factory for some Gummi Bears and then home in the evening for a traditional german kids meal of Mashed spud, eggs, spinach and sausage, yum! We then watched Brain Dead that classic kiwi movie - Sorry Anna!
Saturday 21st we went on a road trip and visited the town of Aachen (home of the Lindt Factory shop) where more sweet treats were purchased and consumed! We also went to a town in the Netherlands, called Masterich where I had some traditional dutch food - sausage and chips. Sunday we had a traditional Sunday roast made by Anna's mum and then a walk around Koln
Monday 23rd we packed our stuff and caught the train to Paris, we found our hotel and went out for a walk and dinner. The next day we took in the sights of Paris (in the cold and rain), we ended the day with a good view of the city and a cheap and yummy meal at a Turkish restaurant
On Wednesday 25th we caught an early taxi to the airport (with a nutty angry driver), we checked in and flew to Marrakech. Anna had arranged a Taxi driver to pick us up and drive the 2.5hours to the coast to a town called Essaouira where her Dad has a house. The Taxi ride was an adventure with us sharing the road with donkeys, bikes, camels, trucks laden with people and livestock.....
We arrived in Essaouira and our packs were transported throught the narrow alleways to the house by a guy with a trolley, we walked down dirt lanes surrounded by stalls and markets selling everything from tourist souvenirs to fruit n veges and sheep heads. It was a bit of a sensory overload after an early start, so it was a relief to arrive at the house and have a cup of tea on the balcony away from the madness!
That afternoon we went for a walk on the beach to a local cafe and then back home to a yummy dinner made by Fatima the housekeeper that included sweet mint tea.
On Thursday 26th we had a yummy breakfast of fresh fruit and then coffee with a friend of Anna's, we then went for a walk around the wharf and fishing area.
On Friday 27th we picked up our hire car and headed away on a 6 day trip to see a bit of the country, we got about 10km away from Essaouira when a stone flicked up and chipped the windscreen! We rang the hire car people and tired to explain in French (well Anna did) about the chip, they didnt seen to understand so we drove back and showed them. We then drove around town looking for someone to fix it without luck, so we were sent on our way with the plan being to call a guy in Marrakech who could fix it. When we arrived in Marrakech we couldnt get hold of the guy so carried on hoping the crack wouldnt grow!
We reached our destination for the night in the evening, a lovely hotel near a city called Ouarzazate. We had a swim in the pool which was so nice after the dusty drive. The roads are rough here and travel takes a lot longer than you expect!
On Saturday 28th we drove towards the desert and a town called M'Hamid, we stopped for lunch at a town on the way, it was windy and sand was being blown around - I was feeling a bit apprehensive about what the desert would be like in those conditions. Lunch was at a cafe run by a rather odd German lady who told us a story of how palm trees mate, awesome!
We arrived in M'Hamid and talked to the company we had arranged our camel ride and camping with, there were others trying to sell us `better´ tours but I am glad we booked in advance and stuck with that one. Things are not as organised as back home and it all feels a little dodgy but it turned out well, for example back home you would expect some info on where you are going, what you need to take....None of this info was provided until we asked! Just a different way to do things. We were offered tea and purchased some headscarfs to protect from the sand and wind.
We then hopped on our camels and were lead into the desert by our guide, after an hours ride we reached our camp and were meet by an old Berber man who showed us round and offered tea, he spoke little french so we communicated with him through Anna's basic Arabic and hand signals! We were the only ones at the camp that night but the tents were nice and the beds comfy.
We spent the evening playing cards with the Berber man which was entertaining! and then sitting by an open fire looking at the stars, when we arrived it was sandy and limited visibility, but the wind died and cloud lifted as the sun set. It was a great experience and one of the highlights of the trip
On Sunday 29th after a good sleep we were up for breakfast outside in the sun, we then packed our stuff and headed back to M'Hamid on our camels, our bums were a little sore as camels are not the most comfortable to ride! Some people also say you can get seasick on them and I can see how!
We picked up the car and drove out of the desert and towards the Atlas mountains, we arrived at our destination Taliouine late afternoon
On Monday 30th we drove towards the Atlas Mountains, this is where the roads got interesting! they were narrow and steep with a cliff on one side and a drop off on the other! I was driving at an average of about 20km an hour and concentrating hard! At one point I drove round a corner and a SUV came the other way, I instictively swerved to the left and he came straight at me, I honked my horn and yelled and it was only then did I realise I was one the wrong side of the road!!! We had a break part way up at a cafe in the cloud, at 2100m! The road became wider closer to lunch time, where we stopped for lunch by a lake (3 drinks, 2 omlettes, 1 salad for about $10! not bad!). We also stopped at a disused Mosque for a look around
After lunch we followed the road till the turn off to Imlil and the Toubkal National Park, Mt Toubkal is the highest in Morocco at over 4000m, bigger than our hills! We arrived in Imlil a small alpine village and found our accommodation. A simple but nice B and B type place that we had to ourselves for the first night.
Tuesday 1st we wanted to go for a walk, we hired a guide (30 euro for 4hours) and walked up a river valley towards the Mountain. We reached a shrine and our turning point in a couple of hours, where we stopped for tea and snacks, along the way we had a number of people trying to sell us all sorts of things we didnt need, including a man who called himself Robin Hood the II. He was really keen for us to visit his shop but was good natured when we declined! We headed back down to the Hotel for some more tea and a few games of cards. More people arrived at the hotel that evening including an all female tour group with a rather sifty tour guide - who seemed to change his outfit every hour, and was particular interested in one of the girls on his tour! Aaron wasn't too impressed with him as the guy thought he was Japanese!
We had another yummy Tagine for dinner before chatting with some girls from Belgium who were planning to climb the Mountain, it was good to talk to others about there thoughts on Morocco, a beautiful but very different place!
The next day we drove back to Essaouira, we got slightly lost in Marrakech but it made it back to a yummy lunch made by Fatima, and a interesting Pistachio Ice Cream I was stupid enough to buy!
Thursday 3rd we had a lazy day, with a walk on the beach to the cafe, follwed by a late dinner of a very yummy Tagine, with Almonds and Prunes. This was followed up with some yummy cookies and cake - it seems our travelling is all about eating!
Friday 4th we caught a bus to Marrakech, no locals on this bus - it was just full of grumpy, stupid tourists who couldnt seem to match their seat number with their seat! The bus drove fast and passed everyone on the quick trip to Marrakech. We arrived at the bus station and found a taxi to take us to the Jemaa El-Fnaa, the big market place with the markets, snake chalmers and story tellers. The Taxi was a bit rough, it felt like the floor was about to fall off, but we made it in one piece! We walked around in circles till we found our hostel, a nice place very close to the markets and with a nice roof top balcony.
That afternoon we had a look around the markets and enjoyed a drink on a roof top cafe. The market changes when day becomes night, the story tellers and snake chalmers leave and are replaced by food stalls, musicians and comedians. It had a fair like atmosphere and was great fun wandering round taking it all in.
We went to look for dinner and were talked to by many waiters trying to convince us there stall was better than the rest. All the food is the same as are the prices so it is all just a bit of a game and good fun. We eventually went with the guy who worked out we were kiwis and came up to Aaron and said ´Sweet As Bro!` We couldnt say no to that! We had a yummy and cheap feed.
After that we went looking for some tea and sweets, which I found - the tea was interesting, very spicy and when the tea guy added some menthol to it I had to close my eyes to drink it! But it was all good fun!
The next day we took in some sights of the city including a nice garden and old school before taking a rest on our roof top balcony. Later that day Aaron I went out for some souvenir shopping, we were walking through the market when a guy turned around and spoke to Aaron;
MAN - Are you English?
AARON - No New Zealand
MAN - Do you speak English?
AARON - Yes
MAN - You stood on my shoe
AARON - Oh, sorry
MAN - It does not matter (in a very gruff voice, and then he walked away)
A little odd, but also funny!
Marrakesch was entertaining with Anna getting sick of people calling her Dutch, Aaron also got offered some money and livestock if he was to sell her (as many assumed we were both his wives!) - Wow you are very lucky man.....
We went out for dinner again at the stalls, and had a big feed of kebabs and lamb chops!
Sunday 6th we flew back to Germany, and had a yumy dinner at Anna's mum's place. We have spent the last couple days relaxing and getting ready for the next adventure, Turkey!
It has been a great trip in Germany and Morocco, thanks heaps to Anna for arranging things and being an o for awesome host! Morocco was different to what I expected and had some challenges but overall a great experience! Although it is easy enough to fly to all parts of the globe there are still some very big differences in the people and the environment - I guess this is why we all travel!!
We fly to Istanbul tonight then plan to bus to Gallipoli peninsula tomorrow - I feel this part of the trip is going to be rather emotional but I am really glad I am getting the chance to visit and pay my respects to those young men who fought and died to make NZ the place it is today.....
Enjoy the pics and ill update the blog again once we get to the USA in a couple of weeks!
The overseas adventures have continued with some very different places visited in the last few weeks. We arrived from Hong Kong to Koln, Germany the evening of April 19th after a long flight and quick train ride. Anna picked us up from the train station and we went back to her place for a good sleep!
On Friday 20th we went to the Haribo Factory for some Gummi Bears and then home in the evening for a traditional german kids meal of Mashed spud, eggs, spinach and sausage, yum! We then watched Brain Dead that classic kiwi movie - Sorry Anna!
Saturday 21st we went on a road trip and visited the town of Aachen (home of the Lindt Factory shop) where more sweet treats were purchased and consumed! We also went to a town in the Netherlands, called Masterich where I had some traditional dutch food - sausage and chips. Sunday we had a traditional Sunday roast made by Anna's mum and then a walk around Koln
Monday 23rd we packed our stuff and caught the train to Paris, we found our hotel and went out for a walk and dinner. The next day we took in the sights of Paris (in the cold and rain), we ended the day with a good view of the city and a cheap and yummy meal at a Turkish restaurant
On Wednesday 25th we caught an early taxi to the airport (with a nutty angry driver), we checked in and flew to Marrakech. Anna had arranged a Taxi driver to pick us up and drive the 2.5hours to the coast to a town called Essaouira where her Dad has a house. The Taxi ride was an adventure with us sharing the road with donkeys, bikes, camels, trucks laden with people and livestock.....
We arrived in Essaouira and our packs were transported throught the narrow alleways to the house by a guy with a trolley, we walked down dirt lanes surrounded by stalls and markets selling everything from tourist souvenirs to fruit n veges and sheep heads. It was a bit of a sensory overload after an early start, so it was a relief to arrive at the house and have a cup of tea on the balcony away from the madness!
That afternoon we went for a walk on the beach to a local cafe and then back home to a yummy dinner made by Fatima the housekeeper that included sweet mint tea.
On Thursday 26th we had a yummy breakfast of fresh fruit and then coffee with a friend of Anna's, we then went for a walk around the wharf and fishing area.
On Friday 27th we picked up our hire car and headed away on a 6 day trip to see a bit of the country, we got about 10km away from Essaouira when a stone flicked up and chipped the windscreen! We rang the hire car people and tired to explain in French (well Anna did) about the chip, they didnt seen to understand so we drove back and showed them. We then drove around town looking for someone to fix it without luck, so we were sent on our way with the plan being to call a guy in Marrakech who could fix it. When we arrived in Marrakech we couldnt get hold of the guy so carried on hoping the crack wouldnt grow!
We reached our destination for the night in the evening, a lovely hotel near a city called Ouarzazate. We had a swim in the pool which was so nice after the dusty drive. The roads are rough here and travel takes a lot longer than you expect!
On Saturday 28th we drove towards the desert and a town called M'Hamid, we stopped for lunch at a town on the way, it was windy and sand was being blown around - I was feeling a bit apprehensive about what the desert would be like in those conditions. Lunch was at a cafe run by a rather odd German lady who told us a story of how palm trees mate, awesome!
We arrived in M'Hamid and talked to the company we had arranged our camel ride and camping with, there were others trying to sell us `better´ tours but I am glad we booked in advance and stuck with that one. Things are not as organised as back home and it all feels a little dodgy but it turned out well, for example back home you would expect some info on where you are going, what you need to take....None of this info was provided until we asked! Just a different way to do things. We were offered tea and purchased some headscarfs to protect from the sand and wind.
We then hopped on our camels and were lead into the desert by our guide, after an hours ride we reached our camp and were meet by an old Berber man who showed us round and offered tea, he spoke little french so we communicated with him through Anna's basic Arabic and hand signals! We were the only ones at the camp that night but the tents were nice and the beds comfy.
We spent the evening playing cards with the Berber man which was entertaining! and then sitting by an open fire looking at the stars, when we arrived it was sandy and limited visibility, but the wind died and cloud lifted as the sun set. It was a great experience and one of the highlights of the trip
On Sunday 29th after a good sleep we were up for breakfast outside in the sun, we then packed our stuff and headed back to M'Hamid on our camels, our bums were a little sore as camels are not the most comfortable to ride! Some people also say you can get seasick on them and I can see how!
We picked up the car and drove out of the desert and towards the Atlas mountains, we arrived at our destination Taliouine late afternoon
On Monday 30th we drove towards the Atlas Mountains, this is where the roads got interesting! they were narrow and steep with a cliff on one side and a drop off on the other! I was driving at an average of about 20km an hour and concentrating hard! At one point I drove round a corner and a SUV came the other way, I instictively swerved to the left and he came straight at me, I honked my horn and yelled and it was only then did I realise I was one the wrong side of the road!!! We had a break part way up at a cafe in the cloud, at 2100m! The road became wider closer to lunch time, where we stopped for lunch by a lake (3 drinks, 2 omlettes, 1 salad for about $10! not bad!). We also stopped at a disused Mosque for a look around
After lunch we followed the road till the turn off to Imlil and the Toubkal National Park, Mt Toubkal is the highest in Morocco at over 4000m, bigger than our hills! We arrived in Imlil a small alpine village and found our accommodation. A simple but nice B and B type place that we had to ourselves for the first night.
Tuesday 1st we wanted to go for a walk, we hired a guide (30 euro for 4hours) and walked up a river valley towards the Mountain. We reached a shrine and our turning point in a couple of hours, where we stopped for tea and snacks, along the way we had a number of people trying to sell us all sorts of things we didnt need, including a man who called himself Robin Hood the II. He was really keen for us to visit his shop but was good natured when we declined! We headed back down to the Hotel for some more tea and a few games of cards. More people arrived at the hotel that evening including an all female tour group with a rather sifty tour guide - who seemed to change his outfit every hour, and was particular interested in one of the girls on his tour! Aaron wasn't too impressed with him as the guy thought he was Japanese!
We had another yummy Tagine for dinner before chatting with some girls from Belgium who were planning to climb the Mountain, it was good to talk to others about there thoughts on Morocco, a beautiful but very different place!
The next day we drove back to Essaouira, we got slightly lost in Marrakech but it made it back to a yummy lunch made by Fatima, and a interesting Pistachio Ice Cream I was stupid enough to buy!
Thursday 3rd we had a lazy day, with a walk on the beach to the cafe, follwed by a late dinner of a very yummy Tagine, with Almonds and Prunes. This was followed up with some yummy cookies and cake - it seems our travelling is all about eating!
Friday 4th we caught a bus to Marrakech, no locals on this bus - it was just full of grumpy, stupid tourists who couldnt seem to match their seat number with their seat! The bus drove fast and passed everyone on the quick trip to Marrakech. We arrived at the bus station and found a taxi to take us to the Jemaa El-Fnaa, the big market place with the markets, snake chalmers and story tellers. The Taxi was a bit rough, it felt like the floor was about to fall off, but we made it in one piece! We walked around in circles till we found our hostel, a nice place very close to the markets and with a nice roof top balcony.
That afternoon we had a look around the markets and enjoyed a drink on a roof top cafe. The market changes when day becomes night, the story tellers and snake chalmers leave and are replaced by food stalls, musicians and comedians. It had a fair like atmosphere and was great fun wandering round taking it all in.
We went to look for dinner and were talked to by many waiters trying to convince us there stall was better than the rest. All the food is the same as are the prices so it is all just a bit of a game and good fun. We eventually went with the guy who worked out we were kiwis and came up to Aaron and said ´Sweet As Bro!` We couldnt say no to that! We had a yummy and cheap feed.
After that we went looking for some tea and sweets, which I found - the tea was interesting, very spicy and when the tea guy added some menthol to it I had to close my eyes to drink it! But it was all good fun!
The next day we took in some sights of the city including a nice garden and old school before taking a rest on our roof top balcony. Later that day Aaron I went out for some souvenir shopping, we were walking through the market when a guy turned around and spoke to Aaron;
MAN - Are you English?
AARON - No New Zealand
MAN - Do you speak English?
AARON - Yes
MAN - You stood on my shoe
AARON - Oh, sorry
MAN - It does not matter (in a very gruff voice, and then he walked away)
A little odd, but also funny!
Marrakesch was entertaining with Anna getting sick of people calling her Dutch, Aaron also got offered some money and livestock if he was to sell her (as many assumed we were both his wives!) - Wow you are very lucky man.....
We went out for dinner again at the stalls, and had a big feed of kebabs and lamb chops!
Sunday 6th we flew back to Germany, and had a yumy dinner at Anna's mum's place. We have spent the last couple days relaxing and getting ready for the next adventure, Turkey!
It has been a great trip in Germany and Morocco, thanks heaps to Anna for arranging things and being an o for awesome host! Morocco was different to what I expected and had some challenges but overall a great experience! Although it is easy enough to fly to all parts of the globe there are still some very big differences in the people and the environment - I guess this is why we all travel!!
We fly to Istanbul tonight then plan to bus to Gallipoli peninsula tomorrow - I feel this part of the trip is going to be rather emotional but I am really glad I am getting the chance to visit and pay my respects to those young men who fought and died to make NZ the place it is today.....
Enjoy the pics and ill update the blog again once we get to the USA in a couple of weeks!
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